Heart of Unchange
by J.B. Writer
Summary: CloudxTifa, Post Advent Children, Tifa is planning up a surprise for Cloud, a special night. They both reflect on the girl that gave them a chance to be together as their relationship begins all over again.


**A/N: **Square will make me bankrupt in about a month. So um, a fanfic seems fitting. This is probably a lot more fluffy and cute then what I usually write. I couldn't help it. The AC movie just made me kind of soft. All that hacking and slashing needs some balance of fluff! Heck, I am probably just a hopeless romantic. Emphasizing HOPELESS. But it's all good!

Thanks to my great pal Mr. Cloudshalo, Advent Children and KH 2 has been all in my mind lately. I dedicate this to him and his love life. You make few great friends in long distance terms. You're one of them buddy! (Sniffle) Thanks for all your help and support since I've known you!

- FFVII -

_Fear. It haunts even the bravest of us. Of all the battles I fought, all the people I've lost, all the blood that was shed, it all transformed into one fear. It was a fear in me that I thought would never leave. Being alone, past the tangible sense isn't like physical pain. I never would tell anyone this. But I just can't deal with it. It's so ironic. I prided myself on being a strong warrior, a person that could be counted on. I wanted to be the one person that my friends could count on. I guess my expectations really were impossible. _

_Emotions. I just can't put my finger on it. My anger. My passion. It's hard to know whether it's one or the other. Maybe that's why when you left, I couldn't forgive myself. I was such a fool. Such a damn fool. This tough exterior? All this black armor I wear. The sword I carry. It never mattered. You knew that all along._

- FFVII -

Because of time, it was a moving image of the most bipolar views. Long ago this image would be of a lone warrior, patrolling this city of Midgar on that obsidian revved bike, the mercenary mounted on it wielding a giant sword as fearful as the gods themselves. The same picture, taking place only a few years later, meant the world of difference. It was Edge City now. The same dark mercenary was now a hero. A light in the darkness; looked on by many as a savior in every meaning of the word.

That soft blonde hair flutters against the winds, Cloud Strife once again soaring off towards a destination only he seemed to know exactly where. A young man on the run. That's what the naked eye would see. And long before maybe that was what it was. That was his past.

Cloud was always running. Running from _something_. Running away from memories that he just couldn't let go. But that was not today. _That _wasn't the case anymore. He wasn't running away. He was approaching. And at this speed he was drawing closer by the second.

"This address seems familiar." The blue eyed delivery boy read the package wrapped in white, the box being tied at the center with the cutest pink bow you would ever see.

Strange. There was definitely something going on. And still, even after all that had happened with Kadaj's gang and Sephiroth, he was still that pessimistic little bugger everyone loved. Cloud couldn't help but let his cynicism take over. He was in the slums, a place that, while much improved from years ago, was far from the living he was used to now up above. But that was just it. This package, wrapped like a little 'love you' sweetheart present, really didn't seem to fit these surroundings.

Gritty and cutesy never mixed as far as he was concerned.

"This better not be a joke Barret," Cloud spat as he leaned, his bike swerving towards a gated curve, reminding himself of the reasons why he was on this unusual delivery route.

"_Dude, just take the package to the address." The cybernetic armed man insisted with a shove. "They're paying big bucks, and I know you need the cash. Come on, it's not asking for much."_

"_But, I haven't been down there in years," Cloud stared stupidly at the box with the heart on it. "Just who wants this package sent by me anyway?"_

"_It's an old friend of mine." Barret began shoving his arguing partner towards the door. "Now get on that bike of yours and freaking go bitch!"_

"_B-but it's pink," Cloud blinked stupidly, staring as he was being dragged out the door. "I am not sending love gifts down in the slums. It just doesn't feel right. I think I'm gonna-"_

"_Oh come on, you cross dressed once for God's sake! This isn't going to hurt your masculinity alright?" Barret shoved Cloud out the door, slamming the steel wall shut. _

_Mr. Strife's fury kicked up a notch. "Didn't I tell you never to mention that?"_

"_Whatever man. Just don't' come back until you're done! I am doing you a favor. Trust me."_

"Ugh, if this person is expecting a damn singing telegram?" Cloud growled, flying down the street even faster as he accelerated. "You better start running now Barret."

Vroom!

- FFVII -

_I understand that Cloud isn't the simplest person to comprehend. I mean he's always been that way, even when we were growing up together as just fun loving kids. So ambitious and to himself, yet he expects you to know what's exactly going on with him. Heh, what a guy. Sometimes... I just want to hug him as hard as I want to slap him. _

_I bet it was the same with you. It's so true. We were so the same, you and me. I know you saw the greatness in him like I did. And I know we both wish he'd just let it out. _

_When I saw him, fight Sephiroth a month ago, he seemed so different. He seemed so open. And the children he healed. I swear I haven't seen him smile like that in so long. _

_And after I thought he had died? I knew you were there for him. Always looking after him, even when he never noticed. I know you could have kept him there with you. But you didn't. You let him come back to me... to us._

_I just want to say thank you. Thank you for everything._

- FFVII -

"Tifa!" cuteness yelled out, running back with scented candles ready to be burned, "I got the-"

"Shhh, Marlene," A stressed out Tifa answered with a finger to the young girl's lips. "Quiet down. The sound carries well down here and we need to hear if he's coming."

Marlene's mouth was agape with regret. The beautiful woman only smirked in a light giggle as Marlene zipped her mouth up with a manual lock with an invisible key.

"Silly girl, you don't have to be silent." Tifa took the candles with much gratification, strawberry scented, and placed them against the table.

"Oh Cloud is going to love this when he gets back." The peppy girl sat upon the chair, bouncing up and down as her 'big sister' Tifa was readying for some romanticism. It was obvious Ms. Lockheart hadn't done this in awhile. Dressing up really wasn't ever her thing anyway. Effort was all she needed to be happy. And it didn't take much effort for her to impress the opposite sex.

"We can only hope so right?" Tifa said with a dismal smile, being as nervous as a deer in headlights. Dressed to kill, not in the literal sense, her street fighting clothes weren't apparent. She was in a bright skin tight white dress; her short skirt portion cut to where "short" was an understatement. Beautiful is the word we _should_ use.

Smoking hot is the slang we're going to use.

"Don't worry Tifa," Marlene's personality radiated the darkened room. "I know Cloud won't run away like a chicken this time."

After pulling at the dress material all those hours at the bar paid off for, Tifa let out a laugh that was much needed, holding Marlene's hand as she knelt down. "I really appreciate your help today Marlene."

"No problem. Just as long as you two are together, and not apart," The younger of the two seemed as persistent as the older, if not more. The optimism of a child was something Tifa always tried to mimic. Marlene's level of pep seemed out of reach though.

"He's on his way." The most dead toned voice muttered in the dark shadow, the crimson caped man walking towards our two ladies. The watchman, a reluctant helper, Vincent had done his job to his fullest.

"Yea, I can always hear that noisy cycle of his." Tifa confirmed it, glancing out the window as she helped Marlene to her cute shoed feet. The obsidian haired bombshell looked into those bright child eyes. "I want you to cross your fingers for me and Cloud okay?"

"Of course!" Marlene smiled with the cheeriness unmatched, understanding now after constant begging that she couldn't stay here tonight with her two favorite grown ups. "I will be crossing all I got. My fingers, my eyes, my legs, my toes, my-"

"Okay! Thank you Marlene," Tifa giggled, giving her away to an indifferent Vincent. "Thanks for your help Vincent, please take her back to the surface. Tell Barret the same."

"As you wish," Vincent nodded in drone fashion, just happy he didn't have to decorate this nasty room turned romantic diner of a place. Marlene clung onto the undead's cape and leg, Vincent giving Tifa a nod of reassurance, soon like a ghost, he began to soar off into the now phantom dwelling night.

Tifa waved them off, knowing _he _was near by. She looked to the moon. The bright fully lit up moon. Even down in the slums it was always such a pretty sight. Memories. She wanted to let Cloud relive the memories that he should remember.

_We can be happy Cloud, together._

_Just like we were before._

- FFVII -

_It took so long. I never realized where my strength came from. Was it the training at Shinra? The SOLDIER project? No... It was you. It was Tifa. It was Zack. It was my friends. It was everyone else who would risk their lives just to see if I was alright. With all of you I've defeated my demons. I've beat my memories. I've found my peace. _

_Please do me one more favor. Be my memory and I'll never be alone. Be my loving memory. I know you want me to move on. I want your blessing. She wants your blessing. _

_We need your blessing._

- FFVII -

A kick of the bike stand. A brush of that cool handsome hair. Cloud was ready and now stupefied as he stared at his destination of scattered clutter. This wasn't just any litter hole. Memories of the good kind were now directly in front of him. A nice change indeed.

"Old Avalanche HQ," The young man muttered, pulling off his sunglasses and dismounting off the Fenrir. He felt so stupid. How could he not remember this address? Maybe it was all that isolating he did for so long that made him out of touch with his own memories.

Mr. Strife made his own footmarks on the dirtied floor, glancing around the old place, a faint light illuminating inside the building. Recruited. This was where he was recruited. This was where the journey that led him to this life of friendship and caring started. New friends were made here. And old friendships... and old loves were rekindled.

"Tifa," Cloud smiled inwardly, staring at the box in his hand, and then closing his eyes. He was set up. He had a feeling. A warrior goes on instinct when he fights after all. Maybe this blonde blade wielding fighter was losing his touch.

_You two were always so sly._

"So you knew the whole time?" he heard that caring voice not too far away. There was something about talking to Tifa that would make anyone at ease. Maybe it was her optimism. Maybe it was just her charm. But then again, she could just as easily make any man on edge with the same tools.

The power of women over men. That dwarfed any "Buster" sword Cloud could pull out at the moment.

"You're giving me too much credit." Cloud summed up his thoughts on Tifa's opinion of him. How she could be so loyal to him still was such a mystery.

"Barret does talk a good game." The girl walked out into the moonlight, hands together below her midriff, gorgeousness engulfing Cloud's view at all points. A gulp of the most nervous kind ran up the boy's throat. Sometimes Cloud and Vincent were so cool they were thought to have ice in the veins. As Cloud's skin was turning red, that case was no more.

"Don't... I... know... it." Even the greatest swordsman in the world was no match for this. Cloud was enticed. His mind forced to recollect all of the memories in Nibelheim. He was at a time before he picked up the sword. Before any of the pain got to him.

"Come with me." That delicate hand reached out, our softened Cloud replying as slowly as possible, still trying to absorb what Tifa had just pulled him into.

"Tifa, what's going on?" The delivery guy turned into a gift himself asked for the sake of asking. "Y-you look gr-"

"Just trust me." Tifa grasped his hand, pulling him gently into the building. Trusting this girl was never a problem. Whenever life was crumbling around him, she was there. At his worst she was there for him. He wasn't going to deny her this time.

"I always trust you." The reply made Tifa flush faintly, the girl taking the love gift out of Cloud's hands. The pair made their way into the dressed up building, shutting the door quietly. Their eyes never left each others' gazes for a second.

- FFVII -

_It was jealousy. I was always a bit jealous of you._

_... Okay fine I was totally jealous of you. _

_You had the heart of the boy I wanted to be with after all. Love? Care? Those words mean the most greatest of things when you get down to it. But sometimes it just seems like such a double edged sword. It gets too complex. When Cloud and I were young? We never had to think about it. Sure, we had the little "Girl's have cooties" stage to deal with, but that was its climax. Sometimes I wish it could have stayed that way forever._

_You're like one of those memories. Memories that will give us strength even in the hardest of times. And even though you're gone, I feel guilty. I don't want him to forget you and I know he won't. I want your approval just as much as Cloud does. And what you've done for us will never be forgotten. _

- FFVII -

Cloud ate but it wasn't the usual way. The usual way would actually be A LOT sloppier then this. It was bad enough that he was in his normal obsidian warrior gear. But taking into account the decked out ex-offices of AVALANCHE was now so decorative with flowers and such, and topping it off with what Tifa was wearing, he needed to make up sophistication ground somewhere.

"Y-you know," Cloud glared up. "You could have just told me to come down here wearing something nicer. The surprise is great and all. But-"

"That would have been no fun." Tifa drank her wine cooler. "Besides," she eyed him. "I like the way you look in those clothes."

Cloud gulped on his noodles with a nervousness he never felt before. It was like a rock down the throat. He thought he had outgrown this childish shakiness when it came to Tifa. Boy was he wrong.

"I really... don't know what to say," Cloud muttered, looking around innocently. "T-this is really… nice." A compliment like that was so foreign to his tongue. Saving the world twice apparently softens up a guy real well.

"Don't give me all the credit," Tifa grinned cutely. "I had a lot of help."

"Marlene," Cloud chuckled, just to make things a little more at ease. "No wonder she was so giddy around me this morning. More than usual. I thought that was never possible."

"Y-yea," Tifa put her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing too hard. "I would have invited Yuffie, but she's a blabber mouth. Vincent was our watchman actually."

"Oh..." Cloud's mind took awhile to let that sink in. "W-wha? Vincent!"

"… Long story," Tifa laughed.

Cloud blinked, smirking as he stared at the beauty in front of him. Tifa had the most wonderful laugh. It was so unchanging and pleasant. Whether it was in a slum? In a fight? Or even in the face of the End of the World. It didn't matter. She was such the spark plug. Such a lighted candle in the darkness. Cloud's soul was once a dark corner not too long ago. She was the one who lit it up.

_The most beautiful eyes. The most beautiful person._

"I can't believe you did something like this." Cloud broke the silent stare of affection just to keep his sanity, "It's so-"

"Brave of me?" Tifa finished for him, the foxy tom boy sighing. "Y-yes, I know. It's unlike me.. but after going through what we've gone through. It just seemed trivial to not try something. I figured change is never too bad... right?"

She was putting herself out there defenseless. Cloud admired this. It wasn't just because Tifa showed so much care for him to do something this nice. But it was the courage it took to open this door of affection. She was showing him her heart, hiding absolutely nothing. Cloud, no matter how many battles he fought, he knew he could never be this open to anyone.

But that didn't mean he couldn't walk through that door.

"I like your dress." Cloud commented, forcing Tifa to stare down with red cheeks. The girl looked up to reply, only to see Mr. Strife up close and personal, Tifa was silent, the most beautiful features were inches away from both of them. Eyes like gems. Skin so soft. Lips... waiting to be-

"W-what's in the box?" Cloud wondered, holding the gift up against them both.

Tifa didn't break her stare, smiling as she nudged it into him. "It's a gift, for a certain someone."

Cloud was spoiled. A romantic dinner, this fine place, and now a gift. He reluctantly eyed it, and began slowly opening it. What he found inside was too much for words. A white gem of the utmost value. Memories.

"Aerith..."

"It took awhile but we've found it." Tifa whispered, recalling the countless hours she and Vincent searched for the orb.

"B-but how-"

"I know how much she meant to you Cloud." Tifa didn't let him finish, smiling as she caressed his hand. "And if you think that all of this night was just a way to get things back to the way they were before... to make you forget?" she paused, "Then you're wrong."

"I-"

"I love you Cloud." Tifa held his hand with complete gingerness. "But I know things will never be exactly the same as before. Things will be different, but... I am just saying that... we can make that a good thing. I don't want to force-"

Directly she would force nothing. Tifa dropped the warm hand. Cloud put the orb to the side. Their eyes were now closed, minds forever lost in the world of pleasure. There were now only slight moans and gasps of love, Tifa being kissed as Cloud only knew how. Passion. It was still there. Their tongues spoke louder than words.

And as Cloud pulled away, Tifa could only stare up in awe and dreaminess, something she hadn't felt in so long.

"Thank you... for being here." The blonde whispered into her lips. "Thank you for being with me."

Tifa knew it was appreciation. She knew that this was the right thing to do. Cloud was the one for her. "I'll never leave you..."

"I know."

It wasn't the time for words. Their heavy eyelids close, giving away to their desires.

- FFVII -

_I used to be so worried about the future. I figured that by beating my past I could change it so easily. But I realize now that sometimes things just happen for a reason. I don't know why you had to leave me. But you did. There had to be a reason. Just like the reason I am alive right now._

_I died. I could have been with you. But life thinks differently. You thought differently. Do you want me to be with her? I guess... you think she needs me more than I know. Or, heh, maybe I need her more then she knows. Either way, you always put other people ahead of yourself. I hope you and Zack are getting along fine. You two meant the world to me while you're alive. And you still mean everything to me now._

_Tifa and I have our lives ahead of us. I don't know how it is going to end but I am okay with that. No matter what we do, I know she will be with me every step of the way, just like you will be._

_I love you. And even if all things in my life aren't going to be the way I want it. That fact will never change._

_Till we meet again my dearest Aerith._

**- Fin –**

Once in a while  
You are in my mind  
I think about the days that we had  
And I dream that these would all come back to me  
If only you knew every moment in time  
Nothing goes on in my heart  
Just like your memories  
How I want here to be with you  
Once more 

You will always gonna be the one  
And you should know  
How I wish I could have never let you go  
Come into my life again  
Oh, don't say no  
You will always gonna be the one in my life  
So true, I believe I can never find  
Somebody like you  
my first love

Once in awhile  
Your are in my dreams  
I can feel the warmth of your embrace  
And I pray that it will all come back to me  
If only you knew every moment in time  
Nothing goes on in my heart  
Just like your memories  
And how I want here to be with you  
Once more  
yah yah yah

You will always gonna be the one  
And you should know  
How I wish I could have never let you go  
Come into my life again  
Oh, don't say no  
You will always gonna be the one  
So true, I believe I could never find  
Now and forever

-- "First Love" – Hikaru Utada


End file.
